Groitzsch Castle Ruins, Groitzsch, Germany

Only small remains of the castle of Wiprecht of Groitzsch on Burgberg ('Castle Hill') are still visible, but the site has been investigated archeologically and is protected as a historical monument.

The Wiprechtsburg is situated on the northwestern edge of the town of Groitzsch and was one of the largest castle complexes in Saxony around 1100 under Count Wiprecht von Groitzsch. A special feature is the oldest stone building in Saxony, the round chapel built by Wiprecht for his wife (daughter of the Bohemian duke Vratislaw II) based on the Bohemian model.

During the summer months the area is used as an open-air stage for concerts and other events.

From Groitzsch, Wiprecht II fought many of his battles for the right to rule and land and continued to build up his power. The once mighty castle was destroyed in 1306. Only parts of the Romanesque round chapel and a residential tower built around 1080 have survived.

Extensive excavations by archaeologists from 1954 to 1968 uncovered the remains of the residential tower and the round chapel and brought to light valuable findings on the history of the castle.With the completion of the excavations, the design of the entire castle area began. An open-air stage was built in the ruins, a vineyard with more than 500 vines, flower beds and hiking trails along the castle mountain and along the banks of the Schwennigke river. Today, 48 exhibits from the immediate vicinity are on display in one of the stone lapidarium corridors. In the summer months, numerous events take place at Wiprechtsburg Castle, the broadcasting of which reaches beyond national borders, e. g. the summer solstice celebration, open-air concerts, and the annual castle festival, to name but a few.

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User Reviews

Flocke (8 months ago)
Nice facility.

P I (11 months ago)
historical place, well worth seeing everything is beautifully described on explanatory boards

Manuela Wagner (13 months ago)
It's not worth it if that's all you want to visit. So something for the way there or back as a break

Grete 2407 (2 years ago)
Very nicely laid out open-air stage with old castle walls, much more could be done with it. I think it is only used for solstice celebrations. On the edge with a small vineyard. Hardly to no visitors even though it was sunny on a Sunday afternoon.

Matthias No (2 years ago)
Castle ruins. Quite pretty and not big. There were seats built into the slope. I think it could be really good in the summer with a program.

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Visby Cathedral (also known as St. Mary’s Church) is the only survived medieval church in Visby. It was originally built for German merchants and inaugurated in 1225. Around the year 1350 the church was enlarged and converted into a basilica. The two-storey magazine was also added then above the nave as a warehouse for merchants.

Following the Reformation, the church was transformed into a parish church for the town of Visby. All other churches were abandoned. Shortly after the Reformation, in 1572, Gotland was made into its own Diocese, and the church designated its cathedral.

There is not much left of the original interior. The font is made of local red marble in the 13th century. The pulpit was made in Lübeck in 1684. There are 400 graves under the church floor.

Groitzsch Castle Ruins

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